Our latest edition of “Five Questions With” features Brad York, President, OneBeacon Government Risks. Read on to learn more about him!
- What was your first insurance job?
I reluctantly started in the business as an independent claim professional with a heavy emphasis on litigation support and investigation. This was my primary source of income and allowed me to go to college during the evening with more ‘seasoned’ students. At the time, I was fortunate enough to be exposed to many insurance carriers, industries for which they served and ultimately became quite familiar with how the legal system actually functioned. It was during these years I began to focus on local governments and became exposed to their nuances and challenges. - What experiences growing up do you think best prepared you for a leadership role?
This is a difficult question as your life experiences influences our thoughts and ultimately how we deal with opportunities and challenges. Outside of education, for me personally, it was always a long term goal and strategy; a journey. Recognizing there are leadership qualities in all of us, I tried to take advantage of every opportunity to engage, learn and ultimately not be afraid to make a mistake as long as you could learn from it and not hurt the organization. But I also wanted to be very good at everything I did. Excelling in some yet failing in others helped me to realize leadership includes relying and trusting on others. No one is perfect and rarely is there a single solution to a problem. We continue to evolve and improve; something I strive for every day. - What is your proudest professional moment?
Are these the same interview questions? Proudest professional moment (so far) is being a part of creating a business, such as Government Risks, but probably more so is the satisfaction of helping others develop and achieve their professional goals. Being a part of their opportunities and their journey gives me greater satisfaction. I’m very fortunate to be in a position to do so. - If I wasn’t in insurance I would be doing…
What? Who doesn’t want to be in insurance? But, if I had to choose, I used to think I wanted to become a stock broker. But now probably something in the wildlife resource arena. - What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Simply ‘ask for advice’, continually strive to learn, and don’t be afraid to make a mistake. Trusting your instinct ranks pretty high as well.